Coupeville bond: Bond covers vocational ed

The health and safety issues that go along with our 1940’s vintage high school are quite visible (have a walk through, if you haven’t already) and are a convincing argument on their own for a new high school; and of course all these issues can be taken care of with a new school through modern design standards and the current building codes.

Not as obvious but also important is the need to provide adequate technical and vocational training facilities.

I think that a lot of people would agree that in today’s world teaching our children to be technically/computer savvy should follow right in behind the three Rs. Being computer literate will soon be, if not already, a prerequisite for most jobs; accordingly, all our schools should have the space and flexibility required to accommodate and teach today’s and tomorrow’s technology.

What seems to be left behind these days is the continuing need for vocational training and the facilities to provide the training. Our current high school lacks adequate vocational training facilities. We all like to think that our children will grow up to become doctors, lawyers or accountants; however, thankfully, they all won’t, since we still need qualified trades people (carpenters, plumbers, electricians etc.) to build and rebuild our infrastructure, buildings (including schools and hospitals) and houses, and qualified mechanics to fix our cars. A high school vocational training program with the appropriate space and equipment would go a long way to relieve the growing shortage in these less glamorous but honorable and greatly needed professions.

I’m very happy to see that these technical and vocational space issues have been addressed in the proposed new high school. I will be voting yes on May 18 and hope you do as well.

John Williams

Coupeville

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